Third to john ii



(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. D. COLLIER 8v J. K P. MILLER.

ELECTRIC GAR BRAKE.

No.. 462,793. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. D. COLLIER 8v J. K. P. MILLER.

ELEGTRIG GAR BRAKE.

No. 462,793. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. D. COLLIER & J. K. P. MILLER. ELECTRIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 462,793. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

L ci I slp-L 1776i?) 747? yd UNrTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DALLAS COLLIER AND JAMES K. POLK MILLER, OF WIOODVILLE, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOIIN Il. KIRBY, OF SAME PLAGE.

ELECTRIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,793, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed February 4, 1891. Serial No. 380,150. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES DALLAS CoL- LIER and JAMES K. PoLK MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at XVOOdVilIe, in the county of Tyler and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled Oar-Brakes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to the application of electricity to various purposes of coupling and uncoupling, putting on and taking off brakes, signaling from car to car or from locomotive to cars, or vice versa, to lighting trains, and to such other purposes as it may be adapted.

The said invention consists in a suitablycontrolled electric circuit extending throughout the train, and in such other devices as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same partsgare indicated by the same letters.

Figure l represents a plan view of the lower portions of a car, (the car-bod y and frame-work being removed and parts being broken away,) showing various applications of our invention. Fig. 1fL is a sectionai view of a modification of the brake solenoid and armature shown in Fig. l. Fig. 2 represents an end view of onehalf of our electric-circuit coupler. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section through the car-coupler and' the two Sections of our electric-circuit coupler attached to the same end of the car. Eig. 4 is a diagram showing one method of making the various connect-ions through the car-brakes, car-couplers, signalbells, &c.` Fig. 5 represents our method of applying brakes and sounding an alarm should any cars become uncoupled cr break loose.

Although a number of broken circuits connected to one single return wire would ordinarily be sufficient, yet to make connections adapted to the condition that either end of the car may be shifted noXt to thelocomotive or to the source of electricity we have found or two electric-wire couplers on either side ofthe car, with the current passing through one and returning ma the other. In this case will be necessary either an automatic means of shifting the current or a double system of Wires in each car. IVe prefer the double system of Wires, as shown in the drawings.

A and A represent two such systems of wires connected to key-boards A2 and A, arranged in each car. The central wire a or a' of each group is much larger than the others. All the Wires are well insulated, and after leaving their respective key-boards the two groups of wires are gathered together in flexible tubes A3 and A4, preferably of soft-rubber pipes, leading to the electric couplings B and C. Here each wire is connected to its own proper contact-piece, by which it is connected to a corresponding wire in the car next ahead or next behind.

In Fig. l we haveshown twenty-one wires in each group; but the number of these wires may be less or greater, as may be desired. The electric circuits are completed from car to car by means of male and female couplers C and B, respectively. These circuit-coup- Iers may be secured to the body of the car in any way; but we prefer to connect them to the draw-head II of the car-coupler by angleirons or brackets F and F2, to which said brackets are secured. By this means the spring attached to the base of the car-coupler ceo-operates with the springs on the circuitcouplers to lessen the effect of vibrations in the cars. The body of these circuit-couplers is of insulating material, and t-he two faces in contact have a number of contact-strips b b2 b3 b4, the., made of elastic metal, each connected to its proper wire. These contactstrips are pressed together by'bending the metal suiticiently in either one of each pair 9 to made a spring of it, or by placing a small spring under one of each pair. Moreover, the two parts of the coupler are kept in close contact by means of a spiral spring D, attached to the base of either half of the circuit-coup- Ioo ler. We have shown it as attached to the base of the female portion of the circuit-coupler; but it might be applied to the male portion or to both equally Well. We preferably make the male circuit-coupler in the form ot' the frustum of a truncated quadrangular pyramid. Owing to the wedge shape of C it will slide into and be centered by B. At each corner of the top of C we have four metallic contact-strips c4, which press against the contact-strips h4, similar in other respects to h b2 b3, dac. Both c4 and b4 being connected each to a corresponding wire, add four circuits to our system.

In the center of all the female couplers we have a metallic plunger B', pressed out by a spirai'spring at its base and making contact with a plate we have connected to the large central wirev of each group, and this connection forms the return circuit for all the wires ot' the opposite group. Attached to the base of this plu-nger we have three contact-makers lr?, 7c3, and 704, (see Fig. 5,) which complete the circuit, sounding an alarm and applying the brakes when any of the cars become uncoupled or break loose. It will bev seen that with our arrangement of electrical couplings it is immaterial which end of the car is next*A the locomotive or the supply of electricity. Both couplers may have a cap (not shown) to keepy out rain, grease, particles of dust, dac.

E, Fig. et, represents the main source of electricity, which may be either a dynamo or storage-battery carried' on the locomotive or tender. We also provide small auxiliary storage-batteries E E2, the., in each car for use should that car become disconnected from the mai-n supply of electricity; or the supply of electricity may be obtained from a number of storage-batteries, one or more in each car, connected throughout the train. f

G and G representthe brakes, consisting of. two toggle-joints connected at each end to the brake-beams and attheir centers to the solenoid and to its armature. By passing a current through the solenoid they are powerfully attracted, and the two parts tend to .straighten their respective toggle-joints and so press the brakes against the wheels; but any other equivalent mechanical device would operate equally well. Both sections of the solenoidshould preferably be wound, andv in opposite directions. lVhen it is desired to remove the brakes, a switch may be arranged to throw the current through the two sectionsl of the solenoid in the same direction, or a withdrawing-spring may be secured to the two parts of the solenoid. Vhen the current is cutV oft', the spring will force the two portions apart, thus removing the brakes. These mechanical features, which may easily be arranged by any one skilled in the art, are shown in one form in Fig. l, where G represents the toggle-joint, g the coil of the solenoid proper, and g an armature, also having a coil g2 wound thereon.

g3 represents a spring tending to release the brakes. v Y

Three sets of connections are shown in Fig. et. There a, and a represent the two large central wires of each group, connected to the positive and negative poles, respectively/of the source of electricity. canda2 represent the two wires connected to the brake-circuit. d3 and d'3 represent the wires connected to one of a system of signal bells or alarms, and @X andaX represent the wires connected to the various coupling-solenoids. The number of the various circuits may be increased or diminished as may be required, and also various combinations of the different wires may be made.

Since the wires on one side of the car are symmetrical with those onv the other side, we shall only describe the connectionsy on one side of theL car. The use'of the duplicate system of Wi-res may be avoid-ed by having one centra-l electrical coupling with all the wiresA passing therethrough; but in this case the danger' ot' short-circuiting would-be greater. Having two system-s of wires, a double series of contact-makers will be necessary; but'we will describe those on one side of the car only. The two large wires d and d are connected to each pole of the battery and are each in un' broken electrical connection throughout the and the other end connected to the wire a",

which should be of small resistance. Acontact-maker s2 in each car is arranged to connect the wire a2 with the wire a, and so complete the circuit through all the brake-solenoids whenever it is desired to' put on the brakes. Now if connection be made through any one of the said contact-inakers-in any car, the current coming from the positive pole of E will follow along a to the point of contact, whence it will travel to the Wire d?, and dividing a portion of said current will pass through each one of the brake-solenoids, returning to the source of electricity by the wire a.

A galvanometer T or other indicator vis added to informv the engineer that the circuit is completed and that the brakes are ou. I may also place a galvanometer or other indicator on each Wire in each car, should that be deemedy advisable. In the same way by making the ontact s any one of the car-coupling solenoids S may be put i-nto action. These electrically-controlled car-couplings are fully described in our application, Serial No. 381,858, filed February i8, 1891. Or by making the connection s3 all the alarm-bells Bnv 'may be sounded. For this bell-circuit a resistance-coil d" should be introduced, as shown in dotted lines on Fig. 4. It will be evident IOO IIO

resent two metallic cross-bars attached to but insulated from the metal plunger l and electrically connected to the wire (t. lt will readily be seen that one cross-bar would do for both contacts. le" is another metallic contact-strip, insulated from the two cross-bars k2 and 7c3, and also from the plunger B'. Vhen the cars are coupled together, the plunger B is pushed in, keeping the crossbars 7a2 and 7f3 clear of the contact-points s2 and s, which are connected to the wires d2 and a3, respectively. Should a part of the train break loose, the plunger B on the last car remaining on the train and the first car of those broken loose will be released, and the cross-bar k2 will strike 52 and 7a3 will strike 33. Then k2 strikes 32, the circuit will be completed through the brake-solenoids, and when 7c3 strikes 33 the circuit will be completed through the alarm-bells B. This is apparent for the part of the broken train next to the main source of electricity; but to apply the brakes and sound the alarm for the other portion of the train, connection is made with the storage battery or cell in each car. This connection may be readily made in a great variety of ways.` For example, we may provide a contact-piece 7a4, secured to but insulated from B', said bar pressing against a contact-piece s, when the plunger B is released. The current from the secondary battery E2 then goes through the wires -l 5 G 7, and thence through the solenoid Sl to the wire a', connected to the opposite pole of said secondary battery. It is evident that all the secondary batteries may be connected to the wire l, and hence the combined effect of all the said batteries may be obtained and all the brakes be applied on the broken-off section of thetrain.

To prevent the last car of a train from keeping on brakes by this automatic device just described, it will be necessary to have some locking device M5 (see Fig. 5) to keep the plunger B from springing forward. A switch to open the circuit would effect the same result. It will also be evident that the various secondary batteries may be so connected together and to the principal source of electricity that the combined effect of any number of said sources of electricity7 may be simultaneously obtained.

Since the variety of combinations and the arrangements possible with a limited number of wires connected from car to car, as described by us, is very great, we do not mean to limit ourselves to any particular means of performing a given function where numerous equivalent means would readilysuggest themselves to one skilled in the art; but

What we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In an electrical system for use on vcontinuous trains, a ci rcuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting ot` two blocks of insulating material, the one tinuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connect i ing the wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block being in the form of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and registering with a recess in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contactpieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, substantially as described.

3. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from ear to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block being in the form of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and registering with a recess in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contactpieces correspondinglyarranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, and one block having a plunger pressed forward by a spring, one end of said plunger being normally against the contact-piece of the coupler attached to the next car, and the opposite end of said plunger having a device for making electrical connections through one or more circuits when the plunger is released, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block being in the form of the frust-um of a quadrangular pyramid and registering with a recess in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contactpieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact wit'lreach other, and one block having a plunger pressed forward by a spring, one end of said plunger bearing normally against the contact-piece of the coupler attached to the next car, and the opposite end of said plunger carrying two metallic cross-bars, with a third metallic contactpiece insulated from the said two bars and the said plunger, with contact-pieces opposite each of the said cross-bars and the said contact-piece, whereby connection is made in three circuits when the plunger is released, substantially as described.

5. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material perforated with wires terminating in contact-pieces cor- IOO IIO

respondingly arranged on the faces of said blc cks in contact with'each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on the different cars and being pressed together by aA spring or springs, substantially as described.

6. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block adapted to fit snugly in a recess -in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contact-pieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact With each other, said blocks being attached t'o the draw-heads on different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, substantially as described.

7. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block being in the form of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and registering with a recess in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contactpieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, substantially as described.

8. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the'wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material perforated with wires terminating in contact-pieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks spring or springs, one of each pair of said electric couplers having a metallic plunger, with a spring pressing said plunger against a contact-plate on the other electric coupler, said plunger and contact-plate being connected to a series of Ymetallic cross-pieces, which, when the plunger is released, strike a number .of contact-points,"substantially as described.

9. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the Wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block adapted to fit snugly in a recess in the other block, both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contact-pieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, one of each pair of said electric couplers having a metallic plunger, with a spring pressing said plunger against a contact-plate on the other electric coupler, said plunger and contact-plate being connected to wires in the circuit, and said plunger carrying a series' of metallic cross-pieces, which, when the plunger is released, strike a number of contact-points, substantially as described.

l0. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the Wires from car to car, consisting of two blocks of insulating material, the one block being in the form of the frustum of a quadrangular pyramid and registering with a recess in the other block,both blocks being perforated with wires terminating in contactpieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, one of each pair of said electric couplers having a metallic plunger, with a spring pressing said plunger against a contact-plate on the other electric coupler, said plunger and contact-plate being connected to Wires in the circuit, and said plunger carrying a series of metallic cross-pieces, which, when the plunger is released, strike a number of contact-points, substantially as described.

ll. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the wires from car to car, consisting of with wires terminating in contact-pieces correspondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on the dif- .ferent` cars and being pressed together-by a spring or springs, one of each pair of said with a spring pressing said plunger against a contact-plate on the other elect-ric coupler, said plunger and contact-plate being connected to a series of metallic cross-pieces k2 and 7a3, attachedto the plunger but insulated when the plunger is released, to strike a number of contact-points and complete a number of circuits, substantially as described.

l2. In an electrical system for use on continuous trains, a circuit-coupler for connecting the Wires from car to car, consisting of respondingly arranged on the faces of said blocks in contact with each other, said blocks being attached to the draw-heads on the different cars and being pressed together by a spring or springs, one of each pair of said electric couplers having a metallic plunger,

with a spring pressing said plunger against a contact-plate on the other'electric coupler, said plunger and contact-plate being conks, and 1.34, attached to the plunger but insulated therefrom, said cross-pieces being arranged, when the plunger is released, to strike a number of contact-points and complete a number of circuits, substantially as described.

two blocks of insulating material perforated' therefrom, said cross-pieces being arranged,

two blocks of insulating material perforated' with Wires terminating in contact-pieces cornectedv to a series of metallic cross-pieces 7a2, y

electric couplers having a metallic plunger,

IIO

I3. An electric brake for railway-cars, consisting of a pair of brake-beams with brakeshoes thereon, an electro-magnet connected to suitable mechanism for applying the brakeshoes at one end of said pair of brake-beams, and an armature adapted to be drawn to the said magnet, said armature being connected to suitable mechanism for applying the brakeshoes at the other end of the said pair of brake-beams, substantially as described.

14. An electric brake for railway-cars, consisting of an electro-magnet and armature placed between the wheels of a car-truck, the said magnet being connected to a toggle-joint connecting the brake-beams at one end, and the said "armature being connected to a toggle-joint connecting the brake-beams at the,

other end, substantially as described.

l5. In an electric brake for railway-cars, the combination, with an electro-magnet and armature placed between the wheels of a cartruck, the said magnet being connected to a toggle-joint connectingl the brake-beams at one end, and the said armature being connected to a toggle-j cint connecting the brakebeams at the other end, and the said magnet and armature being normally held apart, of a system of electrical connections by which the said magnet or the said magnet and armature may be electro-inagnetized, substantially as described.

1G. Inan electrical system for use on continuous trains, a double series of wires carried in flexible insulated tubes to a double pair of electrical circuit-couplers, one on either side of the car, said double system 0f wires each having a main wire forming the return circuit for the system connected to the circuit-coupler on the opposite side ot` the car, substantially as described.

17. In a system of brakes to be applied by electricity, the combination, with the source or sources of electricity, of a conductor leading from one pole thereof, said conductor being connected to one end of each solenoid for actuating the brakes, a second conductor connected to the opposite pole of the source or sources ot' electricity, and a third conductor connected to the opposite ends of the said brake-solenoids, all of said conductors being connected from car to car, with a contactmaker in each car for connecting the last two conductors, and so applying` the brakes, substantially as described.

18. In a system of brakes to be applied by electricity, the combination, with the source or sources of electricity, of a conductorleading from one pole thereof, said conductorbeing connected to one end of each solenoid for actuating the brakes, a second conductorconnected to the opposite pole of the source or sources ol electricity, and a third conductor connected to the opposite ends of the said brake-solenoids, all of said conductors being connected from car to car, with a contactmaker in each car for connecting t-he last two conductors, and so applying the brakes, a circuit-coupler connecting the wires from car to car, a spring-plunger attached to said circuitcoupler, and a contact-maker attached to said spring-plunger, whereby the brake-circuit is automatically closed in each end of a parted train, substantially as described.

l0. In a system of brakes to be applied by electricity, the combination, with a source or Sources ot electricity at each end of a train, of a conductor leading from one pole thereof, said conductor being connected to one end ot each solenoid for actuating the brakes, a second conductor connected tothe opposite pole of the source or sources of electricity, and a third conductor connected to the opposite ends of the said brake-solenoids, all of said conductors being connected from carto car, with a contactmaker in each car for connecting the last two conductors, and so applying the brakes, a circuit-coupler connecting the wires from car to car, aspring-plunger attached to said circuit-coupler, and a contactmaker attached to said spring-plunger, whereby the brake-circuit is `automatically closed in each end of a parted train, and a contactmaker, attached to but insulated t rom the said plunger, adapted to close the brake-circuit connected to the auxiliary sources of electricity in the rear end of the parted train, substantially as described.

20. In a system of brakes to be applied by electricity, the combination, with a source or sources of electricity in each car of the train, of a conductor leading from one pole thereof, said conductor being connected to one end of each solenoid for actuating the brakes, a second conductor connected to the opposite pole `of the source or sources of electricity, and a third conductor connected to the opposite ends of the said brake-solenoids, all of said conductors being connected from car to car, with a contact-maker in each ear for connecting the last two conductors, and sofapplying the brakes, a circuit-coupler connecting the wires from car to car, a spring-plunger attached to said circuit-coupler, and a contactmaker attached to said sp ri ng-plu nge r, whereby the brake-circuit is automatically closed in each end of a parted train, and a contactmaker, attached to but insulated from the said plunger, adapted to close the brake-circuit connected to the auxiliary sources of electricity in the rear endot the parted train,

IOS

IIO

and a contact-maker attached to the said ductor n?, connected to the other ends of the each car for completing the brake-circuit, and

brake-solenods, with contact-mamkers S2 in I In testimony whereof We affix oursignatures j 1n presence of tWo Witnesses. a series of brakes composed of eleetro-mag- PI AS. DALLAS COLLIER.

net-s 'and armatures adapted to be drawn JAMES K. POLK MILLER. 5 thereto, said magnets and4 armatures being Witnesses:

each connected toatogglejout actuating the \V. E. ADAMS,

brake-shoes, substantially as described. JNO. H. KIRBY. 

